I am looking for information on the history of the L & N Line. When did it originate? The current CSX line which crosses US 41 in Marietta, Georgia was a spur line of the Knoxville branch of this line. Where would I find information on this branch. I need to know if it started as L & N or was it purchased by them. If it was purchased, what did it originate as and when did this specific branch get built. Does L & N have a webpage?

-- J.Lally (lallyjo@hotmail.com), December 06, 2000

Answers

sorry, misspelled the link. try:

http://www.egroups.com/group/lnrr

-- Tom Randall (tkrandall@mindspring.com), December 08, 2000.

yes, the "L&N", or more specifically a group of individuals who are largely members of the L&N(and NC&StL) historical society has a web page. It is a discussion group/email board at www.egrouops.com/lnrr

there is also a L&N historiacal society page at http://www.rrhistorical.com/lnhs/index.html although it is not an active page kept up to date, the society itself is active.

-- Tom Randall (tkrandall@mindspring.com), December 08, 2000.

To be specific, the line that crosses over Highway 41 in Marietta isn't CSX at all, but is the Georgia Northeastern Railroad. This was the old L&N "Hook & Eye" line to Etowah, Tennessee. It was under L&N control throughout the 1970's, but during the early 1980's when L&N became Family Lines, then Seaboard System, then CSX - somewhere in this time period the line became the Georgia Northeastern. Several miles north of this overpass, the CSX "W&A" mainline passes UNDER Highway 41 just south of Kennesaw.

-- Tom Alderman (Topa12283@aol.com), December 07, 2000.

The CSX line which crosses US.41 in Marietta, Ga., started out as the Marietta & North Georgia RR, a 3ft wide(narrow)gauge operation and opened in May 1879 from Marietta to the North Carolina state line near Culberson. The track was standard gauged in 1886. In November 1896 the line became the Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern RR and in the same year was extended to Murphy, NC. The L&N acquired control in 1905. After the line was standard gauged, trackage running rights were gained over the NC&StL/W&A to allow access to Atlanta.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), December 06, 2000.

The local L&N expert is Kenneth Huffines See his webpage:http://www.mindspring.com/~khuffines/

-- Tom Stallings (tlstalli@libertybay.com), December 06, 2000.